Tag: teenagers

I’m sure there isn’t a parent alive who doesn’t feel the guilt of not spending enough time with their kids. I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I know that i am always reminded that work can wait, this precious time goes fast and that I should enjoy it. Can you relate?

A few weeks ago, my fiancé and I had a friend over who brought her teenage daughter and one of her classmates. The girls sat on the couch, headphones on and eyes glued to their smart phones. They weren’t talking to us or each other. When asked what their favorite subject was in school, one replied, “None of them."

I’m not going to get on my high horse and write an essay about how technology is ruining our kids and how things were so much better “back in my day." But I would be lying if I said I didn’t find the encounter troubling. My experience with these teens may have been an extreme example, but the way kids today interact with each other and the world is…different.

Many of us have been there. As children, we often want what we want when we want it. I was an unusually considerate child growing up (my mom’s words, not mine), so I didn’t gripe much about not getting material things. But like most kids and teens past and present, I whined about washing dishes or taking out the trash, I watched way too much TV and generally felt like I should be able to do what I wanted.

This week, we posted some tips on how to network with others, based on the idea that it's who you know. Well, as you're building your network of friends and ties, think about this: when it comes to your health, does who you hang around with matter?